אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתוֹ

I am the man who has seen and suffered affliction by the rod of His fury.

אוֹתִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא אוֹר

He, God, conducted and led me in darkness and not in light.

אַךְ בִּי יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ יָדוֹ כָּל־הַיּוֹם

Indeed, against me He will again turn His hand all day. God came back again and again to strike me relentlessly.

בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעוֹרִי שִׁבַּר עַצְמוֹתָי

He wore away my flesh and my skin, broke my bones.

בָּנָה עָלַי וַיַּקַּף רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָה

He built against me a wall of siege, and surrounded me with gall, a bitter and poisonous weed, and adversity.

בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָם

He settled me in darkness, like those long dead, who dwell in eternal darkness.

גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחָשְׁתִּי

He fenced me in, limited my movement, so that I would not emerge; He made my fetters heavy, so that they bind me down.

גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִי

Even as I cry and plead, He blocks my prayer, preventing it from reaching Him and being accepted.

גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּה

He fenced my ways with hewn stone, stones for construction that block roads; He distorted my paths. Not only does He not redeem me from my troubles, but He gives me new ones.

דֹּב אֹרֵב הוּא לִי אֲרִי בְּמִסְתָּרִים

He, God, is like a bear in ambush to me, a lion in hiding. Therefore, dangers appear in my life repeatedly.

דְּרָכַי סוֹרֵר וַיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שׁוֹמֵם

He has twisted my ways, or, He has covered my ways with thorns, and mauled me, torn me to pieces, rendered me desolate and alone.

דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵץ

He drew His bow and set me as the target for the arrow.

הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיֹתָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתוֹ

He then pierced my kidneys with His arrows, the contents of His quiver.

הָיִיתִי שְׂחֹק לְכָל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כָּל־הַיּוֹם

I have become a laughingstock to all my people, their song all day. I have become an object of mockery and satirical songs. The lamenter here is referring to himself, or alternatively, he is speaking of the people, in first person, as their representative.

הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרוֹרִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָה

He, God, filled me with bitterness, sated me with a solution of wormwood, a bitter or poisonous drink.

וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵפֶר

Since God has withheld food from me, He has ground my teeth with gravel, forcing me to eat it, and He has covered me in ashes.

וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טוֹבָה

My soul has forsaken peace; my soul has abandoned its hope for peace. I have forgotten the possibility of goodness because I am engulfed in distress.

וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתוֹחַלְתִּי מֵה'

When I saw that God was ignoring me, I said: My eternity, my eternal soul, and my expectation, my hope, have perished, are lost, from the Lord.

זְכָר־עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹאשׁ

Remember my affliction and my anguish, my hardship, which is bitter like wormwood and gall.

זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר וְתָשׁוֹחַ עָלַי נַפְשִׁי

In the future You will remember, and yet in the meantime, my soul is bowed down within me from the toil and suffering.

זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל

Despite the pain and anguish that God has wrought upon me, almost leading me to despair, this I will reply to my heart; I constantly remind myself of the following principle, and therefore I will await, or I have hope.

חַסְדֵי ה' כִּי לֹא־תָמְנוּ כִּי לֹא־כָלוּ רַחֲמָיו

It is due to the Lord’s kindnesses that we have not ceased. Thanks to the Lord’s mercies we have not been utterly consumed; we still exist, despite all the troubles, for His mercies have not ended. This faith was expressed by the Jewish people in all of their exiles.

חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ

New every morning, great is the trust in You. Alternatively, every morning my faith in You strengthens anew.

חֶלְקִי ה' אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לוֹ

The Lord is my portion, says my soul, choosing to be loyal to God. Therefore I will await Him.

טוֹב ה' לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ

The Lord is good to those who hope for Him, to the soul that seeks Him.

טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת ה'

It is good for a man to await silently the salvation of the Lord.

טוֹב לַגֶּבֶר כִּי־יִשָּׂא עֹל בִּנְעוּרָיו

The prophet further consoles himself: It is good for a man that he bears a yoke in his youth. Just as a young man can carry a heavy burden without getting injured, so too let him accept the challenge described in the next verse.

יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָיו

Let him sit alone and be silent, because he took it upon himself; he has accepted this life situation, despite its hardship.

יִתֵּן בֶּעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָה

Let him subdue himself and put his mouth in the dust, so that he cannot speak; perhaps there is hope.

יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּה

Instead of striking back, let him offer his cheek to one who strikes him; let him be filled with disgrace, as he is smitten from every direction.

כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי

Nevertheless, there is still hope, for the Lord will not forsake forever.

כִּי אִם הוֹגָה וְרִחַם כְּרֹב חֲסָדָו

For, even if He torments, ultimately He will have compassion, according to His abundant kindness.

כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִּבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְּנֵי־אִישׁ

For He does not afflict people willingly for no reason, and He does not torment the children of men capriciously.

לְדַכֵּא תַּחַת רַגְלָיו כֹּל אֲסִירֵי אָרֶץ

He does not want to subdue under His feet all the prisoners of the earth.

לְהַטּוֹת מִשְׁפַּט־גָּבֶר נֶגֶד פְּנֵי עֶלְיוֹן

And it is not His habit to distort the judgment of man before the face of the Most High. God does not pervert justice,

לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָה

to subvert a man in his quarrel, his cause, the Lord has deemed it unfit.

מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּה

Who is this, what enemy could there be, who said that he would harm Israel and it occurred, whose declaration was fulfilled, if the Lord did not command it? If Israel suffers harm, it is certainly a divine decree.

מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּוֹב

From the mouth of the Most High, evil and good do not emerge. God leaves the world in the hands of man’s free will.

מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן אָדָם חָי גֶּבֶר עַל־חֲטָאָו

When all is said and done, what shall a living man complain? His complaints about his difficulties and troubles are unjustified, as each man for his sins. His dire situation is merely the result of his own evil deeds.

נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־ה'

Therefore, let us search and examine our ways, and return to the Lord.

נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל־כַּפָּיִם אֶל־אֵל בַּשָּׁמָיִם

Let us lift up our heart with our hands, to God in the heavens. Let us rip out our heart and give it, as it were, to God.

נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ אַתָּה לֹא סָלָחְתָּ

Despite the call for appeasement and hope, notwithstanding the theodicy and logical explanations, the cry toward God reemerges: Although we have transgressed and defied, and we were therefore deserving of punishment, nevertheless, we would have expected You to pardon us, not only the way a master pardons his slaves, but as a father forgives his children. However, You have not forgiven.

סַכּוֹתָה בָאַף וַתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָלְתָּ

You are covered with wrath, or: You distanced yourself and hid behind a wall of wrath, and have pursued us; You killed; You did not have compassion.

סַכֹּתָה בֶעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּה

You have covered Yourself, as if with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through, as though the gates of heaven are closed to our prayers. The prophet speaks here in the name of all the people of Israel.

סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּים

You render us filth and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵינוּ

All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us, and we cannot respond.

פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּׁבֶר

Terror and a trap, or obstacles, came upon us, desolation and disaster.

פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי

The prophet returns to speaking in first person singular: When faced with our shameful state among the nations, streams of water pour down from my eye, crying for the disaster of the daughter of my people.

עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מאֵין הֲפֻגוֹת

My eye will flow with tears and will not cease, from lack of respite. The tears do not cease because there is no respite from our troubles.

עַד יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא ה' מִשָּׁמָיִם

I cry continuously, until the Lord looks out and sees our misery from the heavens, and redeems us soon. Expressions of hope, loyalty, and faith in future salvation again come to the fore.

עֵינִי עוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִי

My eye distressed my soul, or contaminated my soul, more than all the daughters of my city. Alternatively: Jeremiah is lamenting over the fact that he has seen all of his neighbors and relatives going into exile or getting killed, while his own sobbing eyes are the only ones left to cry for all the rest, like an incompletely formed cluster of grapes [olelet] left on the vine during the harvest.

צוֹד צָדוּנִי כצִּפֹּר אֹיְבַי חִנָּם

My enemies hunted me like a bird is hunted, without cause.

צָמְתוּ בַבּוֹר חַיָּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּי

They bound my life in the pit. And furthermore, they cast stones at me.

צָפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָרְתִּי

The pit was full of water; waters rose over my head. I said: I am doomed. My end has come.

קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ ה' מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּוֹת

I called upon Your name, I prayed to You, Lord, from the depths of the pit.

קוֹלִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִי

You heard my voice, which is itself a minor salvation; please, let Your ear not disregard my cry, for my comfort. The prophet begs God not to ignore his plea, so that his conditions may improve.

קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָא

I had hope when You approached on the day that I called You. You said to me: Do not fear.

רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּי

In the end, Lord, You have fought the battles of my soul; You redeemed my life.

רָאִיתָה ה' עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִי

Lord, You have seen my wrongs, the injustice that was done to me; please adjudicate my case.

רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִי

You have seen all their, the enemies’, vengeance, all their evil thoughts against me.

שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם ה'כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָי

You heard their taunt, Lord, all their thoughts about me. When Jeremiah’s harsh prophecies for the future did not materialize, his listeners would ridicule him and throw stones at him. When the prophecies were eventually fulfilled, the same people took revenge against him, as though he were to blame for the events, even though his statements had been meant merely to warn them.

שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי כָּל־הַיּוֹם

The lips, the words, of those who rise against me, and their thoughts, are against me all day. In all their statements and thoughts, I am considered the sole guilty party.

שִׁבְתָּם וְקִימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָם

Look at their sitting and their rising, look at what they do constantly; I am the subject of their song, the object of their mockery and ridicule.

תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל ה' כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם

Pay them retribution, Lord, punish them, according to their handiwork.

תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָתְךָ לָהֶם

May you give them hardness of heart, troubles that seal up the heart; may Your curse be upon them.

תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי ה'

May you pursue them in wrath and destroy them from beneath the heavens of the Lord.